Hand accelerator for motor vehicles



April 9, 1940. J. E. GIROUX I 2.196.553

HAND ACCELERATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Sept. 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Inventor A itorneys A ril 9, '1940. J. E. GIROUX HAND ACCELERATOR FORMOTOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 14, 1939 A Homeys PatentedApr. 9, 1940 r HAND ACCELERATOR FOR VEHICLES oron Joseph E. Giroux;. 1 lint, lVIich. Application September 14, 1939, Serial No. 294,954

4 Claiinsi. (Cl. 74 86) The present invention relates to acceleratorattachments for motor driven vehicles and has for its primary object toprovide a mechanism of this character controlled from a position on the5 steering wheel and thus relieve the driver from they necessity ofmaintaining his foot on the accelerator while driving the car. 1

An important object of the present invention I is to provide anaccelerator device of this char- "1 acter which is mounted on thesteering wheel of the vehicle and embodying a mechanism which willmaintain the accelerator in a predetermined position without requiringthe accelerator to be gripped by the driver.

A still further object is to provide a this character which may beeasily, and conveniently installed in position on the steering,

wheel of the vehicle withohtnecessitating any changesin theconstructionthereof and which at the same time is of simple andpractical construction, eficient and reliable in performance,

relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and other- Wise well adapted forthepurposes for which the same is intended. v I I Other objects andadvantages reside in the'details of construction and operation as morefully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals referto like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view taken substantially 35 on a line 3-3 of Fig.2. I I

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the control sleeve mounted' on thesteering wheel taken substantially on a line 44 of Fig. 2 and Figure 5is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 5.-5 ofFig.4.

Referring now to' the drawings in detail whereinfor the purposeofillustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the inventionthe numeral 5 designates a steering wheel on the steering post 6. Amanually operable accelerator control sleeve 1 is mounted on the wheel5, the sleeve 1 being composed of a pair of longitudinally splitsections 8 and 9 having their longitudinal edges provided with aninterfitting connection as shown at Ill. Bearings l2 and [3 are mountedin the sleeve adjacent, each end device of.

of conventional construction which is mounted against circumferentialsliding: movenient by means of a clamping ring l4 formed of a pair ofsplit sections and hingedly. at one end as shown at hi. the ring areprovided with tubular extensions l6 and l! having a portion thereofthreaded as shown at It and adapted, when the sections are inclosedposition tore'ceive a'locking ringfiltl, which is threaded on theextension to secure the sections in closed'position about the sleeve '1.

The tubular extensions l6 and I! continue radially outwardly to form atubular housing 2t within which a shaft 2| is journaled, one end oi theshaft being provided with a pinion gear 22 which is engaged with thering gear 23 formed on one end of aisleeve "l. housing designatedgenerally at 24 is mounted on the steering post 6, thehousing includinga bottom25 including a tubular'centfral portion 26 .from which a splitcollar 21. extends below the housing for clamping The other ends of thesplit'sections of to the steering post by means of a bolt 28. The

lower edge of the side walls 29 of the housing is seated in a channel 30formed adjacent the edgeof the bottom 25 and adapted forrotation on saidbottom portion. The top 3| of the housing isformed with an annularupstanding rib 32 positioned in an inverted channel guide 33 which issecured to the steering wheel 5 by means of bolts 34 or the like.Projecting from one side of the upper portion ofthe housing is a tubularextension 35 which telescopically receives the shaft housing 20.

' A shaft 36 is journaled in bearing brackets 31 depending from theunderside of the top 3| and is:

connected to they shaft 2| by means of a universal joint 38.. Fixed tothe shaft 38 is a pair of worms 39 engaging worm gears 4|] keyed to apair of. shafts 4l4l also journaled in bearing brackets 42-42 dependingfrom the underside of the top 3| of the housing. Plates 43-43 arefixedly secured at one end to the shafts 4i and have their free endsprojecting radially from opposite sides of the steering post forengaging a circular plate 44 provided with a central open- .ing 45toaccommodate the steering post, said circular plate being. positionedin the housing as thereof to space the sleeve from the wheel 5 tofacilitate the rotation of the sleeve on the wheel.

The sleeve is retained in position on the wheel clearly shown in Fig. 2of the drawings; A rod 46 extends downwardly from the circular platethrough the bottom'25 of the housing and is adapted for connection withthe throttle of the carburetor of the engine of the vehicle. (notshown).

From; the foregoing it will be apparent that upon therotation of thesleeve 1 that the plates 43 Willbe raisedor lowered depending upon thedirection of rotation of the sleeve and a depressing movement of theplates 43 will cause the circular plate 44 to be moved downwardlywherebyto also move the rod 45 downwardly and thus control the throttle of theengine. portion of the housing 24 is adapted to rotate freely on thefixedly secured bottom portion25 of the housing and accordingly when thesteering Wheel 5 is manipulated during the steering of the vehicle allof the parts of the device except the bottom 25 and the disc 44 and itsoperated rod it will likewise be rotated.

By reason of the worm drive connection between the plates 63 and thesleeve 7 it will be apparent that the plates will be maintained in apredetermined position after being actuated by the sleeve 1. Likewise inthe usual throttle construction of a carbureter the throttle is returnedto its closed position by means of spring devices which likewise wouldbe employed for returning the disc 44 to its upper position. 7

It is believed the details of construction and manner of operation ofthe device will be readily understood from the foregoing without furtherdetailed explanation.

What is claimed is:

l. A hand operated accelerator for motor ve hicles comprising arotatable hand gripping member adapted for mounting on a steering wheel,a circular plate having a carburetor throttle operating rod extendingtherefrom, said plate and rod being mounted for vertical reciprocatingmovement, a pivoted platehaving a free end engaging the first namedplate to actuate thelatter, I

The upper said sleeve.

a circular plate having a carburetor throttle operating rod extendingtherefrom, said plate and rod being mounted for vertical reciprocatingmovement, a pivoted plate having a free end engaging the first namedplate to actuate the latter, said pivoted plate being rotatable aboutthe axis of said circular plate, a shaft operated by the member and aworm, gear operating connection between the shaft and the pivoted plate.

3. An accelerator for motor vehicles comprising a sleeve adapted forrotatably mounting on the steering wheel of the vehicle, a circularplate beneath the steering wheel and having operative vertical movement,a shaft operated by the sleeve,

a plurality of plates having one end free and bearing against thecircular plate, means pivotally supporting the other ends of the lastnamed plates and an operative connection between the shaft and thepivoted ends of the last named plates.

l. An accelerator control mechanism for motor driven vehicles comprisinga sleeve adapted for rotatably attaching on the steering wheel of thevehicle, said sleeve having gear teeth at one end,a housing rotatablysupported on the steering wheel post, a shaft projecting from thehousing and having a pinion at its outer end operatively engaged withthe gear teeth of said sleeve, a vertically movable circular plate inthe housing having a throttle operating rod extending therefrom, aplurality of plates pivoted at one end to the housing and having theirfree ends bearing against the circular plate and an operlast namedplates and said shaft to pivotally actuate the last named plates upon arotation of JOSEPH E. GIROUX.

